I have only mild acne but I've started using the acne.org BP and moisturizer. You're supposed to apply them separately, wait a long time in between washing, BP, moisturizer, etc., but I just mix them together and apply right after I wash my face. My skin has seemed a lot more balanced lately. Just make sure you use more moisturizer than BP cream. If your skin shows any signs of dryness, skip a day and just use moisturizer. I also like to use a ton of product at night when I don't have to worry about putting on makeup or having residue.

MSM powder is intriguing me. I've never heard of it but it sounds almost too good to be true (doesn't mean I won't try!) I just hope that my liver doesn't go crazy if I take it- I've been drinking a ton of lemon water, I'm wondering if my liver 'detoxing' is causing my current problems...meh

If you want to try the acne.org stuff, they do make sample sizes. Especially if you've never used BP before! Luckily, my skin is about as sensitive as cement. Also you do have to mosturize, but you should do that no matter what. I use jojoba oil at night, and I do put the gel on my whole face. I've heard that BP can make you wrinkle faster, but wrinkles don't cause me a shitload of pain, so i'll take them over zits the size of my thumb any day.

I clean my makeup off with a tea tree oil pad, put the gel on, wave my hands at my face for a minute so it'll dry, then put on the oil.

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

I did three courses of Accutane as a teenager (after trying pretty much every BC, oral, and topical OTC and prescription medication available). I didn't find Accutane scary, so much as a giant pain in the asparagus to get a prescription every month. It gave me perfect, non-oily, beautiful skin but only for a year or so afterward. Then it slowly got bad again. :( And I was bad and stretched out my prescription, taking one pill every few days at the end. I was pretty desperate to keep the good effects going.

My current dermatologist gave me a Rx for Spironolactone a few years ago. He said if you have hormonal acne it's one of the best treatments, and it was ah-mazing. I'm a little concerned that I was never told about the potential side effects, but I never had any. The only thing I experienced was thirst the first week or so, due to the diuretic effect. I had to go off when we wanted to get pregnant. When I'm done with babies you can bet I'll be back on it if my skin starts going south again. I also started doing chemical peels every month (until I got pregnant). I get a really light one since I'm so sensitive. It really helps!

Now I'm using Finacea, which is the only thing my dermatologist would let me have while either pregnant or nursing. It's a millions dollars a tube but it works well and I'm vain. And as soon as I gave birth I picked up doing peels again. The effects over time are so good!

I don't know if any of that was helpful. Just know that I feel your pain. I've struggled with acne since I was a preteen and my self-esteem is pretty much directly tied to my face. It's sucky.

I use drugstore BP and I always use jojoba. I know jojoba isnt supposed to break you out but if you use too much can it have adverse effects? Blah I just don't know what is causing this.

Those of you who have tried spironolactone, how long did it take to work? I've only just started but my skin is hell right now and if theres a light at the end of the tunnel I can focus on, maybe I can get through the days.

I appreciate all you responses so much. It's so encouraging to hear from people who have been in my situation. It's very hard for me right now.

So I recently heard a theory that acne is a symptom of inflammation due to an allergic reaction. I'm not sure how true that is and I didn't research it much because I don't have severe acne. But if there is any truth to that have any of you tried working it from that angle?

Maybe cut out gluten, soy, and corn. Not all at the same time. But maybe one of these things is what is causing it or making it worse?

I've considered that, GraciaKai. I don't really have reason to think I'm allergic to any food, but cutting something like gluten out for just a few weeks to see what happens seems reasonable enough. I mean clearly there's something going on internally, whether it's an allergy, a hormone imbalance, or something else entirely.

I admittedly have very little willpower, so whenever I think about doing that it's always "I'll start next week", and then I don't. But I have a couple reasons to want to try this, so my motivation is a little higher right now. Maybe I'll start next week! ;) (I mean I do have to go food shopping this weekend).

And janie-pie, I'm sorry you're having a hard time, and I wish I had some advice. Hopefully the spironolactone will start working quickly- hang in there!

It sucks having health issues that you can't seem to fix! I am starting to think that the only way I'll ever feel 100% healthy, alive, and energetic is if I make all of my food from scratch and never eat anything from a store shelf again.

While I don't deal with acne like some of you do. I have weird bumps on my forehead that will never go away! I thought maybe being gluten free would help that and it has some, but not like I thought it would. I had to go gluten free for other reasons. But basically I was told that if I cut out gluten and corn it should help with any and all inflammation in my body. Including the bumps on my forehead and my allergies.

Being gluten free has helped get rid of the pain that I was experiencing in my back and SI Joint. But I have not attempted to be corn free yet. That just seems way too hard to take on. But the more I read about it the more I start to think it could help me too. Ugh, it's so frustrating!

I think I saw results from the spiro within 1-2 weeks. I also think it was a "worse before it got better" kind of thing.

I've been told that jojoba oil is pretty detoxifying so can be irritation in large quantities, like was mentioned. I tried that oil cleansing method (biggest. mistake. ever.) and it made me look horrible. For a month I told myself it was just drawing out all the impurities, then finally admitted it just made my face worse.

GraciaKai, I'm always gluten free, mostly soy free, and this week tried to be corn free. This week I was super super careful and ate none of the above, and I'm STILL having the worst breakouts of my life! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! Haha. Last night I was just like f-it and made popcorn. I tried to get food allergy testing done, but the doctor mostly tested me for molds and plants. I asked why they could not test me for the 50+ most commonly allergenic foods, and they basically said they can't. So. frustrating. I know others have had this testing so I need to find a different doctor.

I've been using jojoba for probably almost a year now. I'd think that if it was detoxifying wouldn't it have done that at the beginning of my use? I tried that oil cleansing method too.. yuck.

It's my fourth day on spiro and I feel like my skin is rebelling. But then again it's been freaking out for a month or more anyway so eh. Thanks again guys! :3

Hey so to the people who have tried spiro... Did anyone find it made you nauseous or feel kind of weird and anxious? I'm not sure if its that or the heat but I've been feeling very light headed and nauseous lately, and my cousin had a similar experience when she took it. Trying to stick it out to see if it gets better. Its been about a week now two 25 pills a day.

Also, when I've been drinking this week (hey it was my birthday, then the fourth, then the weekend..) I've been extra sensitive and immediately passing out which doesn't usually happen. :T

I just started yaz to help my skin, I was resistant to the idea of using BC but antibiotics haven't helped me and I'm desperate.

I'm 26 now, used accutaine as a teenager and had perfect skin until I started grad school. Having breakouts seems to be directly related to how much stress I have. I used to just break out along my chin/jawline, but it seems to be getting worse. My forehead is pretty much covered with teeny little zits.

I refuse to be seen in public without makeup and thought that I had it covered until this exchange between me and my (regular) English student:

Me: "so, how are you?"Him: "fine. But you don't look so good..."Me: "what?" *blots face, thinking that my makeup must have gotten blotchy or something*Him: "you have a lot of pimples."Me: "oh...yeah...sorry..."Him: "so, have you been not sleeping enough or eating bad food?"Me: "no, maybe it's stress or something" *stunned*

I try to eat well, but it seems that my skin only clears up when I am not under stress, and it's very difficult to make that happen for any period of time. What I eat seems to have no effect, and yes I have been sleeping enough.

I hate how some people assume that I'm not taking care of my body or making attempts to get rid of my acne (it's not the first time this sort of conversation has happened).

Anyway, thanks for listening, I just wanted to vent.

Jaine-pie, is the spiro helping? I might look into it when I get back to Canada.

ugh, I'm sorry, I used to hate that when i was breaking out bad, it's so forking rude. Once a good friend pointed out my breakouts and asked me what bad food I had been eating and I almost lost my shiitake. I always took really good care of skin and ate well and it didn't make any difference, it drives me crazy when people make assumptions like that, and bottom line it's none of their business anyway.

_________________"If I were M. de la Viandeviande, I would now write a thirteen page post about how you have to have free will to be vegan, but modern science does not suggest any evidence for free will, therefore it is impossible to be vegan." -mumbles

My skin has gotten so bad in the last month! I'm really struggling. But I'm determined to not go back on hormonal BC. I had an appointment with a dermatologist that someone recommended and I had to cancel. When I tried to arrange a new date, she said she wasn't taking on any more new clients because she's retiring. Now I'll just have to I don't know, just pick one at random?

I just know some people look at me and think my skin looks so unhealthy because of veganism. Well, no, it's always been a problem! And I wish I had clear skin too, I'm 31 ffs!

My face has looked like a mushroom for years, with tons of infected multiple-level pimples on top of each other and so forth. Nothing that I did helped, until I switched to the oil cleansing method. Literally, within a week, the permanently infected bumps were gone. I am still in the transitioning phase, but the results so far are amazing. I can't believe it was this easy to clear things up.

I clean my face once a day with pure jojoba-oil, according to the instructions here. Sometimes, when I feel a bit dry after cleaning, I moisturize with an extra drop of jojoba-oil after.

My skin feels softer than it has been in years. I haven't had any pimples since I started the oil cleansing method. Just a couple of ordinary small bumps, where there's some buildup in a pore (don't know the proper word for it), but I think everybody has a few of those at all times. Or they're probably part of the transition phase. Either way, they're hardly visible and I don't give a shiitake about them.

I'm just so glad to finally just have the skin of someone my age, instead looking like a 16 year old at all times.

Reactions to specific foods only cause acne is a small number of people. There's nothing necessarily magical about veganism that could cure anything. Period.

You can't "detox" your liver. Cleanses are a myth. Also, only people with advanced immune diseases get systemic yeast infections and they generally end up in intensive care.

A gentle cleanser, a BHA (salicylic acid) lotion which will gently exfoliate your skin, and a topical BP cream will help many people. Acne is caused in part by an inflammation of the skin so a lot of people make it worse by using harsh products. If a gentle over the counter regime does not work, you will need to see a dermatologist.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

i had some really good experience with oil cleansing, but now after a few months my cheeks are covered in these weird little whitehead things and the acne is back to normal. I'm 38, FFS, and considering maybe it's time to go on HBC? (i have no sex drive either but i remember being so forked up from HBC before). I have rosacea and everything here with my doctors is "oh well it's the rosacea there's nothing you can do". Especially in the winter it's humiliating.

i had some really good experience with oil cleansing, but now after a few months my cheeks are covered in these weird little whitehead things and the acne is back to normal.

:( Hmfrrr. That's what I'm afraid of.

And yes, what is the deal with continuous acne for grown ups? Boo.

hormones :(

You might have good luck if you try using a retinol product in conjunction with your oil cleansing, if your skin tolerates it. It will help speed cell turnover so that you might not get the small bumps and they can help breakouts, plus they are good for longterm aging. I like this company Garden of Wisdom (these products are vegan, not all are) but you might have to experiment finding something that works for you:

_________________"If I were M. de la Viandeviande, I would now write a thirteen page post about how you have to have free will to be vegan, but modern science does not suggest any evidence for free will, therefore it is impossible to be vegan." -mumbles

I just started yaz to help my skin, I was resistant to the idea of using BC but antibiotics haven't helped me and I'm desperate.

I'm 26 now, used accutaine as a teenager and had perfect skin until I started grad school. Having breakouts seems to be directly related to how much stress I have. I used to just break out along my chin/jawline, but it seems to be getting worse. My forehead is pretty much covered with teeny little zits.

I refuse to be seen in public without makeup and thought that I had it covered until this exchange between me and my (regular) English student:

Me: "so, how are you?"Him: "fine. But you don't look so good..."Me: "what?" *blots face, thinking that my makeup must have gotten blotchy or something*Him: "you have a lot of pimples."Me: "oh...yeah...sorry..."Him: "so, have you been not sleeping enough or eating bad food?"Me: "no, maybe it's stress or something" *stunned*

I try to eat well, but it seems that my skin only clears up when I am not under stress, and it's very difficult to make that happen for any period of time. What I eat seems to have no effect, and yes I have been sleeping enough.

I hate how some people assume that I'm not taking care of my body or making attempts to get rid of my acne (it's not the first time this sort of conversation has happened).

Anyway, thanks for listening, I just wanted to vent.

WTH? So rude.

I tried the OCM when I had acne, and though it was interesting--I didn't find it revolutionary. Honestly, what helped me get rid of acne was not washing my face very often and rarely using products at all, and drinking lots of water. Maybe it's just because I'm older (30, but I had acne in my early-mid twenties) now, but I never have a problem, and don't have to spend money on lots of products! My eating habits don't seem to make a difference, but my water consumption (or lack thereof) certainly does. Good luck!

I think my acne has eased up a bit - i've mentioned before that nothing worked until I started using BP religiously, and if I wasn't diligent about putting it on at least once a day, shiitake would start popping up. But i've been kind of lazy about it the past two weeks, putting it on every other day, and nothing too crazy has happened. I'm not going to drop all of my products to see what happens to my face, but the idea that I might not have to be a slave to zit cream for the rest of my life makes me happy.

The rest of my face stuff however, you will be prying from my cold, dead face.

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

Yeah, I think it must be. My face is looking better lately, and I haven't changed anything. BUT, and I don't know if this is tmi for this thread, my last period was... different. Milder, in a couple ways. Combined with my face being clearer, I have to assume there's some hormonal stuff going on.

Although what's kinda funny is that the only thing I have actually changed is unintentionally getting myself re-hooked on caffeine. I've heard there's a connection with some kind of hormones there. Maybe my skin wasn't freaking out from caffeine so much as lack of it. Fine, face, I'll keep drinking coffee.

Oh, I also just got a Clarisonic, so I'm curious to see what effect that'll have!